Sidmouth councillor raises concerns over local elections going ahead in May

The Conservative county councillor for Sidmouth has hit out at the Government's decision that local elections should go ahead this May.

Stuart Hughes said the logistics of running an election are 'horrifying' and he believes the polls should be postponed until October.

On Friday, the Government confirmed that the May 6 elections would be held as scheduled, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Ministers said the public health response to Covid-19, not least the vaccination programme, means that they can commit to go ahead with the polls with confidence, and they were currently working with the Electoral Commission to ensure they were setting out clearly how social distancing and other rules apply specifically to all aspects of the polls, and they will maintain the choice for voters between in person and absent voting (using a postal or proxy vote).

Which elections will take place in Devon?

As well as the delayed 2020 local elections in Exeter and Plymouth, and the Police and Crime Commissioner elections, the regularly scheduled 2021 Devon County Council elections will take place, as well as a series of delayed by-elections, and Neighbourhood Plan referendums on May 6.

Concerns have been raised by existing Devon County councillors over whether it was necessary to hold the elections in May, and given the current guidance that canvassing and leafleting as part of campaigning would be against the law, how safe and fair the level playing field for Independent candidates is.

Cllr Hughes said: "I can't understand why at the present time they're pushing ahead with the 6th May.

"The logistics of running an election are horrifying and in the test centres there's eight minutes between each person going in to clean down.

"If you apply the same principle to elections you're looking at having the poll open for three or four days for people to vote in person, and surely the risk of seeing another increase in cases three weeks later as seen at Christmas.

"Surely common sense tells you put back four or five months to October half-term week when everyone will have been vaccinated and we will hopefully be in a far better place, and maybe will have had a chance to get some vitamin D."

A spokesman for Devon County Council said: "We have been preparing to hold the elections in May for some time, with extra safety measures in place at polling stations and at the vote counts. However there are alternatives in place for those who do not want to cast their vote in person, for example postal votes."

Phil Norrey, the council's chief executive, had previously said: "No doubt that holding elections in May will be a huge challenge and we will be doing our best to support that if we have to do it. It might be safer to have a delay and there was a concern about how feasible it is."